How CFOs can seize the moment #CFOReimagined In another example, at a Greek telecom through smart, rapid investment in Technology itself won’t lead to company, the CFO says the move to digital technologies. As such, digital improvement, of course. Managing the rapid reporting is enhancing agility. value stewardship is essential, to ensure proliferation of digital programs across “Ten years ago, it took 30 days for me accountability. The CFO is the person the business forces CFOs to craft clear to get the month-end results, now it’s who can understand and measure end goals, which in turn ensures that more like four or five days,” he says. digital interventions, what they mean new technologies are fully exploited. “It means I can make decisions faster for the organization and whether they CFOs need to connect the dots between if something needs to change.” are having an impact. CFOs understand various pilot programs and technologies the economic rationale for technology to avoid duplication and redundancy, A senior finance executive at one of the investments and can sequence activities. and ensure investments are productive. world’s most successful e-commerce brands says her focus is also on “If you have a seat at the table As Daniel Gentili at INPEX Australia real-time analytics. “Our promotions on technology investments, you says, “Finance should be all are short-term, based on traffic have to be able to contribute in a over anything tied to enterprise flows and managed in real time,” meaningful way,” adds Alan Foster, technology—right from the design she explains. “So, finance has to CFO of National Grid UK. “Not just phase. Any technology in the back be able to provide its feedback in in working out what to say yes to, office needs to interface with real time too, to make sure those but also in understanding what finance efficiently. Otherwise promotions pass our criteria.” needs to be done to ensure those your data and outputs are a mess.” investments are successful. These It is critical for the CFO to help the are areas that require engagement organization achieve growth objectives and involvement from the CFO.” 33 The CFO Reimagined: from driving value to building the digital enterprise